Grove's Den Murders Chapter 2
by Shadow88Demons
Summary: Maiev Shadowsong goes on the hunt for a group of killers and finds herself with more than she bargained for


**MAIEV SHADOWSONG**

 **GROVE'S DEN MURDERS**

 **CHAPTER TWO**

Vandan Springwinds, the night elf owner of Grove's Den Tavern greeted Maiev with a sad smile. "It is good of you to come back, Warden Shadowsong," he said. "We have had more robberies but, more disturbingly, we have had three murders."

"Yes I heard about that," Maiev replied, her tone hard and cold. "What can you tell me about the three victims?" she continued, studying Vandan closely for any suspicious signs.

Vandan looked to his right staring into the forest as he recalled what he had seen and heard. "All three victims were night elves, two women and one man, and all were on their own at the time they went missing."

"What time of day was it?" Maiev interrupted.

"One of the women went missing in the early evening, not much later than now, the other two later in the night toward early morning. They were found in different locations but all had the same markings."

"Go on," Maiev encouraged when the owner hesitated and his expression turned grim.

Vandan's blue face paled noticeably as he recalled what he had seen. "Their bodies were covered in bites, like beings with fangs, like vampires had bitten them all over and drained them of their blood. One of the women had her throat torn out, her eyes staring open in death and, you could see the terror of what she had been through on her face. Warden, it was terrible to behold."

"No doubt," she could see the look of horror that appeared on Vandan's face as he recalled what he had seen. "What happened with their bodies?"

"They were from nearby villages and their families claimed them quickly. I believe they have already held funerals. The last victim was attacked just three days ago."

The tavern owner pointed along one of the roads that ran passed the tavern. "The last victim was lured away down that road by a handsome male elf, and that was the last anyone saw of her, alive."

"Do you know who this, handsome elf, was?" there was a touch of sarcasm in Maiev's voice as she asked her question. She would never allow herself to be led astray by a handsome face.

Vandan shook his head. "I hadn't seen him before, but he was well dressed, well mannered, spoke well, and the woman fell for him,"

"And, the other two? Were they lured away in a similar manner?" Maiev continued to probe looking for any clues that might aid her in her search for the killers.

The tavern owner nodded his head. "He by a woman I hadn't seen before and the woman by another stranger,"

"Do you believe that the murders and the robberies are related?"

Vandan screwed up his face as he considered the question. "I would like to say, no, but, my instincts tell me that they are,"

Maiev nodded her head in reply, "I believe they are, too. I will go and take a look down that road and see what I can find. Whoever they are, I will find them and I will deal with them. You have my word."

"I hope you can find out what's going on here, Warden, and put an end to it. My business is already feeling the affect of these crimes and it will only get worse if it continues,"

"I'm sure the victims of these crimes would agree with you if they could," she bit angrily.

Turning on her heels, Maiev left the rustic but well furnished tavern, which was already starting to fill up as people came to eat, drink and enjoy themselves. She glanced at some of the patrons but saw nothing out of the ordinary so she continued on her way.

A bouquet of wilted flowers marked the spot where the last victim's body had been found saving Maiev from wasting time on looking for it. Crouching down close to the ground, Maiev's keen silver white eyes scanned the grass and leaves for anything that might give her a clue as to who, or what, she was looking for.

After several minutes of searching and finding nothing, Maiev gave up, however as she started to move to a different search area, thinking that perhaps the flowers had been placed in the wrong spot, a sudden movement in the forest to her right drew her attention. Maiev's hand dropped to one of the knives hidden on her person and she started to move to where she had seen something move. Though it could have been an animal, the movement had seemed deliberate, like someone was trying to get her attention.

Though it was getting dark rapidly now, Maiev had no trouble seeing as her eyesight was better at night than during the day. As she approached the spot where she thought she had seen movement a terrible stench reached her nostrils, like the smell of something rotten, but there was another smell too, one she would associate with demons. Could the beings she was looking for be demons of some kind?

Frowning at her earlier decision not to wear her armor, Maiev turned and retraced her steps; she would go back for her armor and glaive then start her hunt in earnest. As she stepped out of the forest at the spot where she had entered, Maiev found herself confronted by three blue haired male night elves, or at least, that's what they looked like but Maiev's senses told her otherwise.

"Good evening, fair lady," one of the males said, a dazzling smile on his face.

They were quite attractive, Maiev, thought to herself, Vandan had been right about that. "Who are you and what do you want?" she asked, doing her best to sound nervous and uncertain. There was something about their eyes that told her that they were not elves but other beings in disguise, however, she doubted they were demons.

"We mean you no harm, lady," another of the men said, the trace of a wicked smile on his face and Maiev did not like the tone of his voice, it was almost predatory and his eyes held a hungry look.

"Just on our way to the tavern for food and drinks and we saw you and thought you might like to join us. Haven't you heard about the attacks around here? It isn't safe to be out on your own. But you will be safe with us,"

Maiev seriously doubted that as she watched the three men move closer trying to surround her and, she had a feeling that the three she could see, were not the only ones. She could sense the presence of others behind her. She also had the feeling that she was the food they were referring to. "I hate to disappoint you but I am on my way home and I prefer to be on my own. Besides I ate earlier and I am not hungry,"

"Oh, but we insist," one of the males said, his voice taking on an angrier tone.

"After all, we're paying," another added, running appreciative eyes over her form.

The three of them closed in on Maiev, but before any of them could lay a finger on her, Maiev had drawn two of her knives, her eyes glowing with adrenalin as she lunged forward. One male had his hand badly sliced open, another was stabbed in the arm, and the third had a knife plunged into his chest as he tried to grab her. Now the fools knew that they weren't dealing with some defenceless woman. She almost laughed at the look of surprise on their faces.

Maiev didn't wait to see if there were any more waiting to attack her. As soon as she had dealt with the first three she bolted, running swiftly back down the road but the tavern was not her destination. She needed to reach the tree with her armor and glaive and then she would find the rest of the creatures, whatever they were, and put an end to them.

It had taken Maiev about an hour to walk from the tree to the tavern but running as swiftly as she could, she knew she would reach it much more quickly. She could hear her pursuers they seemed to be all around her, behind and to the sides hidden by the forest. She didn't spare a glance at the tavern as she sprinted by so she didn't see the look of alarm on the owner's face when he saw her run by.

With the tavern out of sight behind her two of her pursers jumped from the trees and landed on the road in front of her trying to block her. But she didn't want to engage them until she had her armor and glaive. As they shaped to grab her, Maiev hit the ground, tucking herself into a ball and rolling between them then swiftly back to her feet and running again, barely missing a beat.

The creatures tried to stop her several more times but each time they failed and then, finally she saw the spot ahead where she needed to turn off in order to reach the tree with her armor and glaive. Maiev knew that as soon as she entered the forest the creatures would get an advantage but she had to take the chance, and she wasn't without tricks of her own.

With the trees so close together, Maiev decided to use them to reach her destination as fast as she could while hopefully keeping above her pursers, giving her the upper hand. With the grace and agility of a gymnast Maiev ran along branches with ease, then swinging between them to reach the next tree and so on until she saw her tree just ahead.

A noise beneath her gave her pause and she looked down to see one of the disguised creatures directly below her. It was too good an opportunity to let slide. Bracing herself as the man dressed in fancy jacket and pants moved forward a little Maiev jump down, her feet hitting his shoulders and knocking him to the ground. In less than a heartbeat Maiev had slit his throat from ear to ear. To her surprise the elf suddenly transformed, changing into a gangly, dirty dark brownish grey being with long thin fangs and it smelt like rotting flesh or vegetation. Now she knew that her attackers were shape shifters.

Maiev looked around and saw that her tree was only a short distance away and she wasted no time heading for it. She had taken only a couple of steps when that rotten smell came anew so overwhelmingly that she had to fight the urge to throw up and then, she was surrounded. She counted at least two dozen of the creatures almost like clones of each other. They were all tall and thin, bald with long narrow, gaunt faces, small ears and eyes as dark as swamp water.

One of the creatures, Maiev assumed to be the one in charge, let out a hideous high pitched squeal that hurt her ears and the next thing she knew there were four small darts shooting through the air to sink deep into her upper right arm. Immediately she pulled the four darts from her arm, sniffing them to see if she could detect poison on them, she did, just as another three struck her left arm.

Maiev knew without a doubt that she was in trouble, with no one knowing where she was, and no one to help her she knew that this could be her final battle. She may have underestimated her enemy but she would do her best to take as many of them down with her as she could.

With a knife in each hand Maiev charged at the closest of her foes, calling on all her strength and power she felt the blade in her left hand sink deep and she twisted it tearing apart muscle and tissue and causing the shape shifter to scream in agony. As that one pulled back another two rushed her, reaching out with daggers and long sharp claws. She dealt with them swiftly lashing out with her boot she kicked one of them hard in the midriff. He was sent flying back while she sliced the other one's belly open. As he dropped, Maiev turned to face the others, they were better armed and she was starting to feel the affects of the fast acting poison.

Maiev knew she was running out of time and exertion was causing the poison to move through her body faster. Her arms were starting to feel heavy and she was growing sleepy, her eyes becoming blurry. Sensing her despair her attackers were now hanging back waiting for the poison to do their work for them, their hideous cackles taunting her as she franticly searched for a way to survive. Surely this was not the way things were meant to end for her. No, not like this!

Maiev backed away towards the tree and her armor but she knew she wouldn't make it and even if she did what difference would it make. The poison was racing through her body now as she backed up against the trunk of a large tree, bloodied knives held out in from of her. She fought the overwhelming urge to close her eyes and to just give in as best she could but it was beyond her control now, and then her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground. The creatures' cackles became louder as their excitement grew at the prospect of having their next meal within their grasp.

Defiantly, Maiev pushed herself back up off the ground determined not to give in but her body just wouldn't obey her powerfully strong mind and will anymore and again she collapsed until she lay flat on the ground. She could feel the strength leaving her body with every second that passed and she knew she was going to die. She thought about her wardens searching for her. Would they find her remains? Probably not. Illidan, she would never see him again. Maiev felt a tear leave her eye and roll gently down her cheek as she finally resigned herself to her fate.

As consciousness started to leave her, Maiev heard a thud like something heavy landing on the ground next to her and she felt the ground shake violently just as a gust of wind washed over her and everything went dark.


End file.
